Mind over matter: Students should talk it out, not fight it out

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Fighting shouldn’t ever be a solution to solve your problems. Nobody knows what the repercussions to fights and it could affect you in the long run later in college. Criminal charges could also follow the fight. People usually focus on the students who were involved, but the incident does not just affect them during a suspension. It also effects the teachers who have to catch students up on their work once they come back.

Fighting should never be a go-to solution when, arguing with someone. It makes you look bad because you can’t handle yourself in tough situations so you resort to fighting. You are assaulting someone for a disagreement you could fix many other ways that doesn’t include putting your hands on them.

“I think when a student gets into an argument and it ends in a fight, it makes me think about their character first and why they had to resort to that,” family and consumer life teacher Dalinda Hamilton said.

Students have to learn how to deal with arguments without resorting to fighting. I think if a student can do that, it shows maturity on their part.

Many people are not aware of the criminal consequences that result from fighting at school or in general. If either student wanted to press charges for assault, that is an option. If a student were to take a video of the fight and post it online for entertainment or was aware that the fight was going to occur, they could get criminal charges or suspended from school according to school resource officer Scott Duryea.

“Law wise there is assault and battery. Assault is verbal and battery is physical, both could be considered fights at school,” Duryea said. You could get charged criminally for the fight.

Once a student is suspended they can’t come back to school and they miss class time. Some students could fall behind without one-on-one help teachers provide. Not only do those students have to work extra hard to catch up, but teachers also have to aide them.

“Overall, it’s not overburdening. It’s also on them to make sure everything is in order for them since they made those decisions,” English teacher Amanda Porter said.

It doesn’t just affect the students but the people around them who have to help them with their decisions.

Some students disagree. They think, students should be able to fight in certain situations.

“If you tell them to stop or ask them to stop and they don’t, I think its okay. Also, if it’s a big situation not a little one. When someone has been messing with you, you should have the right to defend yourself,” Ian Cross, 10, said.

I don’t think in any situation fighting is a choice in any situation. You have so many options you can do other than that.

“Both parties share in the consequences. So if both parties engage physically they both get five days (of suspension),” assistant principal Matthew Carroll said.

No matter what you are arguing about, there are other ways to solve your argument. Don’t resort to fighting it makes your character look bad, you could be criminally charged, which could go on you permanent record for both of the students who are involved.

It doesn’t just affect you, but those around you. Learn other ways to solve problems by not physically assaulting someone. Don’t take the easy way out.